Discerning Talents and Skills

"Discerning Talents and Skills" provides an opportunity to begin considering vocation from a very concrete starting point, individual talents and skills. As a springboard, the session asks participants to consider what they wanted to do or be when they grew up. These childhood dreams frequently capture something essential. As Parker Palmer writes in his book Let Your Life Speak, "If you doubt that we all arrive in this world with gifts and as a gift, pay attention to an infant or a very young child" (11).This session is intended for use within a faith community. It is the second of a three-part series on vocation. The sessions--each roughly one hour in length--could be planned weekly or could also be woven together to create a vocation retreat with a simple meal served in between the second and third sessions. The intended audience is either adult or young adult but the sessions could also be edited for an even younger audience.